Archive for July, 2018

With the holiday season upon us, so the police presence on the roads will increase. Know your rights if and when you are stopped either in a roadblock or by a police officer. To start off we would like to say thanks to Anthony Whatmore for this great article and information. Below are some articles giving advice on what to do when being pulled over. Understand that these articles are guides and do not replace the advice of your lawyer. Most drivers are uncertain of what their rights are when stopped at roadblocks or confronted with suspicious police behaviour. Be aware of these points when confronted by real or alleged police officers: Note that under South African Law uniformed South African Police Service members (SAPS) have the same powers as uniformed traffic officers (JMPD) or other Metropolitan police forces.* *The word police used in the body of this document refers to both of the above. Roadblocks If stopped at a roadblock you have the right to: • Ask for the person’s police certificate of appointment which includes his picture, name, rank, force number and where stationed: Section 334 (2) (a) of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 • If these details are not given, you can ask to see the roadblock commander or most senior officer on the scene • If you have any doubt about the authenticity of the roadblock, you can ask to be taken to the closest police station • If the roadblock is legal, you have the right to ask what its purpose is. Even so, the person is not compelled to tell you if the reason is classified. The number of vehicles being stopped may indicate the status of the roadblock • You have the right to be treated with respect at all times and have the further right to get the details of any officer who has treated you unjustly • You must co-operate with all reasonable instructions, but you can question your position should you feel that a violation of your constitutional rights or your rights under the Criminal Procedure Act, 51 of 1977 is occurring • You must at all times treat any officer with respect and the dignity attached to his rank and office, although you may be firm in upholding your legal rights • You must identify yourself as the driver of the vehicle and supply proof of your driving license. Your constitutional…

We would like to wish all South African’s an amazing and happy Heritage Day. To celebrate we would like to share these awesome tips to improve your braai food photography skills. If you follow these easy photo hacks you will be capturing that perfect braai memory that will last a lifetime! So let’s jump right in! When Shooting Outside, Avoid Shooting in Direct Sunlight – even though Braai’s looks great in sunlight to the naked eye, shooting in direct sunlight can lead to harsh images that have high contrast, blown out highlights, bad shadows and colours (such as BBQ sauce) that often appear overly saturated. Move into the shade, make your own shade, or wait for some cloud coverage. You’ll find that diffused light evens things out and that beautiful chops will shine every time. When Shooting Inside, Find the Light – Short of investing in proper studio lighting, shooting a great braai image indoors is a pretty tall order. The artificial light in homes and restaurants, whether standard or florescent is simply not ideal. Diffused sunlight is still your best bet, and there’s usually at least one window that does the trick. Choose a window with lots of natural sunlight pouring in and use that light. However, the rule about direct sunlight still applies, so you’ll likely need to diffuse or soften the light. Try taping large pieces of white parchment paper over the entire window to act as a diffuser. You can also use a sheer white fabric curtain, a plain white bed sheet, or even a lightly opaque shower curtain… a clean one. Vary Your Angles – I often shoot an image three ways, (1) directly overhead looking straight down, (2) at about a 45 degree angle, and (3) just about parallel with the food. You can shoot the same food at these 3 perspectives and get 3 very different images. Every now and then I’ll shoot at, what’s known in the biz, as a Dutch angle. This is where you tilt the camera to create a slanted horizon line. Shoot Close – Zoom in tight on the food and really fill the frame with that delicious braai meal. I want people to almost taste the image. Sure, you can always crop an image later, but it never feels quite the same. Shooting tight will also give you those great shallow depth of field images that really make an image stand…